Arizona executed a man convicted of killing another man by dousing him with gasoline and setting him on fire during a brutal 2002 attack.
The inmate, identified as McGill, received a lethal injection at the state prison in Florence after years of appeals connected to the murder case.
Before the execution, McGill reportedly smiled and said, “I’m going home soon.”
The execution marked another major death penalty case in Arizona as the state continues carrying out sentences for inmates convicted of violent murders.
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Prosecutors said McGill attacked the victim in 2002 by pouring gasoline on him and setting him on fire, causing fatal injuries.
The case drew renewed attention because of the extreme violence involved and the long period between the crime, conviction and execution.
Family members and supporters of the victim have waited more than two decades for the sentence to be carried out.
Death penalty cases often take many years because of appeals, legal challenges and reviews involving trial procedures, mental competency, evidence and execution methods.
Supporters of capital punishment argue that executions provide justice in the most severe murder cases and give victims’ families a sense of closure.
Opponents argue that the death penalty is costly, irreversible and raises serious moral and legal concerns.
Arizona has faced scrutiny in past executions, especially over lethal injection procedures and delays in carrying out death sentences.
In this case, officials said the execution was completed at the Florence state prison.
The murder remains one of the more disturbing cases connected to Arizona’s death row because of the method used in the attack.
McGill’s final comments before receiving the lethal injection are likely to draw further reaction from both death penalty supporters and opponents.
The execution closes a case that began with a violent 2002 killing and continued through years of legal appeals before the sentence was finally carried out.
Final words and meal revealed for Arizona death row prisoner who set couple on fire https://t.co/PeBzRpCvWU pic.twitter.com/Stg854sXwS
— New York Post (@nypost) May 21, 2026
